Strainer devices and detachable shaker handles therefor



Nov. 19, 1957 J. ODMAN 2,813,531

smmm DEVICES AND DETACHABLE SHAKER HANDLES THEREFOR Filed Feb. 21, 1956 INVENTOR. 1UBN J. ODMAA/ A TTOEA/EKS' STRAINER DEVICES AND DETACHABLE SHAKER HANDLES THEREFOR Reuben J. Odman, Seattle, Wash.

Application February 21, 1956, Serial No. 566,838

6 Claims. (Cl. 210-359) This invention relates to a combination urinal strainer device or the like and detachable shaker handle therefor, and more particularly concerns an improved sanitary means at the disposal of janitors in public buildings for maintaining urinals in working order. The invention is herein illustratively described by reference to the preferred form thereof; however, it will be recognized by those skilled in the art that certain modifications and changes therein with respect to details may be made without departing from the essential or characterizing features involved.

While the invention is intended for use in connection with any urinal adapted for accommodating a removable strainer or screen to catch gum, paper, cigarette butts and the like, it is particularly desirable for use in connection with urinal installations in restaurant lavatories and the like wherein sanitary methods must be beyond impeachment, as where persons handling food or utensils have multiple duties including janitorial service. The novel concept of the present invention is the provision of a combination urinal screen and detachable handle therefor, so devised that the handle may be stored in a sanitary place when not in use and so that the handle when se-. cured to the screen may be used to lift the latter from its place and may be used operatively for shaking the screen to dislodge objects therefrom before the screen is replaced in the urinal.

Another object of the invention is such a screen device and handle combination which is practical, simple and durable in its construction and operation, and one which may be manufactured at relatively low cost.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a novel urinal strainer or the like having handle-engaging means thereon which may be releasably engaged by a detachable handle for lifting the screen from the urinal and for shaking the screen to dislodge foreign objects therefrom as a means of keeping such screen clean and unobstructed.

It is recognized that others heretofore have conceived the importance of the problem to which the present invention is directed, but the only solutions to that problem of which the present applicant is aware were of such a nature that no completely satisfactory technique was made available thereby which would permit the completely sanitary handling of urinal strainers for removal of obstructive objects and matter therefrom. In such prior art any handle means employed was fixedly attached to 'the strainer device itself and there was no concept of a detachable handle which could be separately stored in a sanitary place and which was so devised in relation to the handle-securing means carried by the strainer device as to permit conveniently shaking the strainer device for removing foreign objects as necessary.

In its presently preferred form as herein illustratively described, the strainer device or screen carries two tubular socket elements in mutually spaced parallel relation ship thereon and these are pivotally and releasably engageable by separate projections on the ends of lateral extensions carried by resiliently defiectable hand-grip elements. Squeezing together and release of such hand-grip elements causes reciprocative swinging of the screen back U ted States atent and forth in a plane generally parallel to the common plane of the hand-grip elements, thereby to dislodge foreign objects from the screen. Preferably one such extension is longer than the other so that the general plane of the screen is normally inclined to the general direction of the hand-grip elements, thereby to afford clearance for maximum angle of swing of the screen by manipulation of the handle means, as described.

These and other features, objects and advantages of the invention will become more fully evident from the following detailed description thereof by reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the strainer device or screen installed, the view showing the detachable handle positioned for being brought into engagement with the handle engaging means of the screen device.

Figure 2 is a plan view showing by solid lines the screen device and handle in one extreme position of swing of the screen device, and by dotted lines the position of the handle parts and screen in the opposite position of the latter.

Referring to the drawings, it will be noted that the screen device 10, of any suitable materials, is generally in the form of a shield having a recess 10a formed in the wide end thereof to accommodate a urinal drain outlet housing or the like. Such screen device is formed by a metal frame 10b over which suitable screen material 10c is stretched and to which it is secured. It will be recognized that the particular form and manner of construction of the screen device may vary, and that it will certainly vary with different types of urinals; also the material used and the nature of fabricating the parts may vary with preference or choice. Consequently, the invention is not limited to application to a particular type of urinal screen device or strainer, nor is it necessarily limited in its broader aspects to a device of that specific nature, especially with respect to the novel formation and working of the detachable shaker handle as hereinafter described.

In applying the teachings of the invention to the illustrated screen device, two rods or bars 10d and like are mounted extending in parallel relationship between opposite sides of the metal frame 10b. The ends of these bars are secured to these frame sides as by brazing, welding or other suitable means of attachment. Such bars carry tubular handle-engaging socket elements 10) and 10g, respectively, which extend parallel to the bars, hence in parallel relationship to each other, spaced apart by a short distance lengthwise of the screen.

The detachable handle which cooperates with the socket elements 10 and 10g to lift the screen from the urinal and to shake the screen for dislodging foreign objects therefrom, comprises the elongated hand-grip elements 12a and 12b. These elements are interconnected by the one and one-half turn coil spring at their base ends, whereas their free ends carry lateral extensions 12d and 122, respectively. The element 12a is materially longer than the element 12b, as measured from the base ends thereof, interconnected by the resilient means 120, and the lateral extensions 12d and 12e extend in substantially parallel relationship from these hand-grip elements in the common plane thereof. Each such lateral extension carries a transverse projection, 12 and 12g, respectively, on the free end thereof, adapted for removable insertion in the respective tubular socket elements 10f and 10g. The projecting socket-engaging elements 12 and 12g are smaller in outside diameter than the internal diameter of the tubular-socket elementsl0f and 10g, so that the interengagement between such socket elements and the socket-engaging elements is a pivotal one-and permits the screen device to swing freely between its opposite positions as the hand-grip elements 'aresqueezed toward each other and released alternately. The relative lengths of the lateral extensions 12d and 1212 from the hand-grip elements is such that the socket-engaging projection 12g is located materially farther from the handgrip elements than the similar projection 12 whereby .jections thereon are formed from a continuous length of resilient rod material.

A yoke 14 mounted on the hand-grip element 12a has two side portions 14:: and 14b which project laterally therefrom and slidably along respectively opposite sides of the other hand-grip element 12b. The yoke thereby serves as a guide insuring maintenance of the hand-grip elements and lateral extensions in a common plane at all times during the squeezing and release of the handgrip elements to reciprocate the screen device. Such guide means is desirable when the handle is used in its normal manner, namely by disposing the same in a horizontal plane so that the screen device is maintained substantially vertical, thereby permitting foreign objects to drop more freely therefrom.

Referring to Figure 2, it will be noted that the adjacent end of the screen in its relation to the handle is swung away from the hand-grip elements with the handle in its normal or relaxed position. Such angular positioning of the screen device under these conditions affords a relatively large amount of clearance permitting a relatively wide angle of swing of the screen device into its opposite or dotted line position shown in the figure as the hand-grip elements are squeezed toward each other against the recoil force of the spring means 120.

In use the handle is gripped in the hand as shown in Figure l and the socket-engaging elements 12 and 12g are then inserted into the respective socket elements f and 10g to the hilt. The screen device is then lifted from the urinal by the handle and is swung upwardly into a vertical plane and over a suitable container to receive refuse dislodged from the screen device by shaking the same. Since at that time the socket-engaging projection elements 12 and lzgare directed upwardly, the screen is retained securely thereby as it is shaken back and forth by manipulation of the offset handle.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination, a screen device'adapted for installation covering a urinal drain, said screen device having thereon a pair of tubular socket elements secured to said screen device in mutually spaced parallel relationship thereon, and detachable handle means for lifting and shaking said screen device comprising a pair of handgrip elements each having a base end and a free end, means interconnecting said hand-grip elements at the base ends thereof and normally maintaining such elements in generally parallel mutually separated relationship, said means being resiliently flexible to .permit squeezing of the hand-grip elements to move the free ends thereof toward each other and, by recoil, to separate such elements relatively upon release thereof, lateral extensions projecting in generally parallel relationship respectively from the free ends of said hand-grip elements and in a common plane therewith, and socket-engaging elements projecting respectively from said lateral extensions transversely from the common plane thereof, said socket-engaging elements being detachably pivotally engageable with said tubular socket elements to swing said screen device reciprocatively in the common plane of said handgrip elements by alternately squeezing and releasing of such latter elements, thereby to dislodge objects from said screen device.

2. The combination defined in claim 1, wherein the hand-grip elements, resilient interconnecting means, lateral extensions and transverse projections are formed by a continuous length of resilient rod.

3. The combination defined in claim 2, and a pair of guide elements projecting in parallel relationship transversely from respectively opposite sides of one hand-grip element to extend slidably past corresponding opposite sides of the other hand-grip element, thereby to guide the hand-grip elements relatively for movement in the common plane thereof.

4. The combination defined in claim 2, wherein the socket-engaging elements are carried by the ends of the respective lateral extensions and wherein the two lateral extensions are of such relative lengths as to dispose the socket-engaging element carried by one hand-grip element extension normally materially farther from the hand-grip elements than the socket-engaging element carried by the other hand-grip element extension whereby the relatively adjacent portion of the screen device is normally materially inclined away from the hand-grip elements and is swung toward such hand-grip elements by squeezing of the latter against the resilient recoil force of the resilient means.

5. In combination, a device having thereon a pair of tubular socket elements secured to said device in mutually spaced parallel relationship, and detachable handle means for lifting and shaking said device comprising a pair of hand-grip elements each having a base end and a free end, means interconnecting said hand-grip elements at the base ends thereof and normally maintaining such elements in generally parallel mutually separated relationship, said means being resiliently flexible to permit squeezing of the hand-grip elements to move the free ends there- :of toward each other and, by recoil, to separate such elements relatively upon release thereof, lateral extensions projecting in generally parallel relationship respectively from the free ends of said hand-grip elements and in 'a common plane therewith, and socket-engaging elements projecting respectively from said lateral extensions transversely from the common plane thereof, said socket-engaging elements being detachably pivotally engageable with said tubular socket elements to swing said screen device reciprocatively in the common plane of said handgrip elements by alternately squeezing and releasing of such latter elements, thereby to dislodge objects from said device.

6. In combination, a screen device adapted for installation covering a urinal drain, said screen device having a top and bottom side and a pair of handle-engaging means fixedly secured to the top side thereof, in mutually spaced relationship thereon, and detachable handle means for lifting and shaking said screen device comprising a pair of hand-grip elements each having a base end and a free end, means interconnecting said hand-grip elements at the base ends thereof and normally maintaining such elements in generally parallel mutually separated relationship, said means being resiliently flexible to permit squeezing of the hand-grip elements to move the free ends thereof toward each other and, by recoil, to separate such elements relatively upon release thereof, lateral exten sions projecting in generally parallel relationship respectively from the free ends of said hand-grip elements and in a common plane therewith, and holder elements carried by said lateral extensions respectively, said holder elements being detachably engageable with said respective handle-engaging means to swing said screen device reciprocatively in the common plane of said hand-grip elements by alternately squeezing and releasing of such latter elements, thereby to dislodge objects from said screen device.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

